Systems Experienced- Relfection
I felt that once I had completed this project, finished all my blog post and presented to the class, that I still had not comprehensively evaluated the process and iterations through our project. This is why I chose to do an additional blog post, Deeper thinking- My own Reflection, to try and communicate across my belief in the significance of reflection and how it impacted the work we had done as a group, through different stages of iteration. Now we have been critique and given back advice to reflect upon our projects, I wanted to take the chance into diving deeper into an analysis of Punishment.
In a creative process we constantly need to ask why, why did we make these certain choices over others. Once we received feedback on our projects the lectures main comment was “Why, why did you chose word over symbols? Why wood? Why submission and not sensation?” These questions made me reflect on our own work and how we questioned each processes within creating Punishment. With challenging each of our ideas and thoughts through each process it allowed us to develop our project. This is important because without having good questions to reflect on, you aren’t able to have good ideas.
The Miniature Guide to The Art of Asking Essential Questions, states
“The quality of our thinking is given in the quality of our questions”
“Questions define tasks, express problems, and delineate issues. They drive thinking forward. Answers, on the other hand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates further questions does thought continue as inquiry. A mind with no questions is a mind that is not intellectually alive.”
“Thinking within disciplines is driven, not by answers, but by essential questions.”
These three statements reminded of what the lectures had said to us as feedback. They added to their comments in a way of stating the importance of questions each step you made during a creative processes. With always questioning and reflecting on your ideas, you are able to build. If you never changed an original idea, it would never be successful for the reason that it has no development, no backbone. A quote that I found by Chip Kidd relates to this idea,
“Never fall in love with an idea. They’re whores. If the one you’re with isn’t doing the job, there’s always, always, always another.”
One of the most important decisions we made was choosing and material for our coins/cards. This was important as there was many factors to consider like health and safety risks, how they would fall and also if the material was strong enough to be thrown. We started with a base idea of using card. With this though we knew it was going to be to light and wouldn’t manipulate an idea of a coin. From here we decided to branch out and try other options to see what material would be best to use for a pack of coins that can be thrown. With creating different iterations of our design, it allowed to understand what materials would work better than others. With questioning our iterations it also allowed room for improvement and reflection on the work we had already completed. In the end, we agreed upon using wood for our game. This material is durable, won’t break easy, falls nicely once thrown and won’t be too hazardous to players.
Moving forward from this project, I have learnt to value reflection and question my progress throughout my projects. Not only will it help to enhance my work, but it will allow me think clearly and motivate me to not stop once my question is answered. If it’s answered, there’s no more inquiry and no longer intellectually alive.
Reference
http://www.criticalthinking.org/TGS_files/SAM-Questions2005.pdf
https://99designs.com/blog/creative-inspiration/10-famous-design-quotes/
